AmVac's Vaccine Against RSV Attains Next Milestone

News provided by

AmVac AG

07 Mar, 2013, 08:00 GMT

ZUG, Switzerland, March 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

AmVac AG announces new preclinical data on its vaccine candidate AMV602 for the prevention of infections caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Last fall, the company selected the candidate as the most promising for further development among a range of potential leads.

In preclinical studies, renowned RSV expert Prof.ssa Grazia Cusi and her team at the University of Siena, Italy, have now confirmed the candidate's excellent safety and efficacy, showing that even reduced doses of AMV602 trigger effective immune protection against RSV. Moreover, they have significantly expanded the database concerning the vaccine's therapeutic mode of action. A detailed analysis of immunological parameters further substantiates its exceptional ability to activate the two mechanisms of immune defense at the same time: the humoral immune response with antibodies as key players, and the cellular immune response with macrophages, natural killer cells and specific cytotoxic T cells as effectors.

"This mode of action clearly differentiates our vaccine from other development projects in this field. It is the likely explanation for the unique combination of safety and efficacy," Melinda Karpati, CEO of AmVac, comments. "This makes us confident that we will be able to protect premature babies, infants and other risk groups from RSV infections in the foreseeable future. Recent outbursts of RSV in a number of hospitals have dramatically shown how threatening the infection can be in these individuals."

RSV is one of the most common causes of bronchiolitis and pneumonia and a leading cause of childhood hospitalization around the world. The disease is particularly dangerous and potentially life-threatening for premature babies, children with other health conditions and the elderly. A high-cost monoclonal antibody therapy with limited efficacy is currently the only specific treatment option.

AmVac's vaccine candidate AMV602 is based on an innovative technology (Sendai vector technology) that was invented at the Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany and developed by AmVac.

Further Information about RSV Infections

  • RSV seriously affects some 64 million people worldwide, and about 160,000 die of the disease each year.[1]
  • Nearly all children are infected with the virus at least once by the age of 2 years.[1]
  • Many children develop pulmonary disease and/or asthma from RSV that persists throughout adult life making them susceptible to re-infection.[1]
  • An effective RSV vaccine used in the community could substantially reduce incidence and mortality and attain peak sales of over USD 1 billion.[2]

[1] Source: WHO, http://www.who.int/vaccine_research/diseases/ari/en/index2.html

[2] Source: Market Analysis by Datamonitor 2006

About AmVac

AmVac AG is a biopharmaceutical company that develops and markets innovative vaccines. With headquarters in Switzerland, research laboratories in Germany and Italy and a production facility in Hungary, the company brings together leading European experts in the field. AmVac's portfolio currently comprises five vaccine candidates and three platform technologies: the Lactobacillus-, Sendai- and MALP-platforms, inlicensed from a Hungarian partner and top German institutes of the Helmholtz Association and Max Planck Society. AmVac's lead product has already gained market approval in selected indications and is currently being developed for the treatment of a broad range of urogenital diseases.  For the first time, it could enable a safe and effective treatment of benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), prostatitis, bacterial vaginosis and trichomoniasis - with virtually no side effects. Further vaccine candidates are currently in preclinical development. Target indications include respiratory infections and seasonal and pandemic flu.

Contact
Marie-Christine Kopkow, Head of Operations
Tel.: +41-41-725-32-30
E-Mal: kopkow@amvac.eu
AmVac AG, Metallstrasse 4
6300 Zug, Switzerland
Web: http://www.amvac.eu